With reference to FIG. 1A, a typical cable television production and distribution system is depicted in a simplified form. In this system a content provider 108 provides a cable TV distributor 106 with video programming for the cable TV distributor to distribute to it's subscribers via a cable network 104. The content producer may be, for example, the party responsible for creating/producing one or more copyrightable works that are embodied in a full motion or video format (video programming) or it may be the party who owns the rights to such copyrightable works.
The content producer 108 will typically provide the video programming to the cable TV distributor via a satellite link 110 and/or a high speed broadband network system, such as, for example, the Internet 85, an ISDN network. In other cases the content producer will provide the video programming to the cable TV distributor on a recording media, such as magnetic video recording tape or an optical storage disk, such as a compact disk (CD). The cable TV distributor 106 provides it's customer/subscribers 102 with video programming (VP) via the cabling network 104. The cable network 104 may be composed of, for example, coaxial and/or fiber-optic cabling. VP is distributed to subscribers from the cable office 106 in either an analog or digital (MPEG) format via the cabling network 104. The VP is received by a television device associated with a subscriber 102 that is capable of receiving the analog or a digital signal and displaying video programming represented by the signal(s) on an associated display device (not shown). Alternatively, the VP may be received by a set top box (subscriber unit) 112 associated with the subscriber 102. The subscriber unit 112 is typically configured to convert the received signal(s) into a video format that can be fed to and displayed on an associated display device 113. Display device 113 may be a television or a display device with no RF tuning or video processing capability. The typical cable TV distributor 106 includes media storage for storing programming content received from a content producer 108 for a predetermined time, typically until it is distributed to subscribers via the cable network 104. The media storage 126 (See FIG. 1B) may be for example, one or more hard-disk drive based storage servers or magnetic-tape/cartridge based library management systems (LMS) on which video programming may be recorded on one or more magnetic tape cartridges or the like.
A subscriber unit 112 is often capable of bi-directional communication with the head end via the cable network 104 or via other networks such as, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) available from most telephone service providers, or via wireless networks, such as WiMAX wireless networks based on the IEEE 802.16 standard (also called Broadband Wireless Access). Aside from converting the VP signal received from the cable TV distributor into a signal that can be displayed on an associated display device 113, the subscriber unit 112 will also provide a user/subscriber 102 with the ability to provide input to, for example, control the selection of video programming available from the cable TV distributor via one or the multiple channels over which the cable TV distributor will distribute video programming for display/viewing by a subscriber 102. In many typical subscriber units 102, the subscriber unit is configured to provide a numeric or alpha-numeric keypad and control buttons for receiving user input indicative of a user selection for programming (Not Shown). Further, many typical subscriber units are also configured to receive user input via a remote control device that is capable of providing a radio or infra-red signal that are generated by and emitted from the remote control device in response to user input made via the remote control device (Not Shown). The remote control device typically also includes a numeric or alpha-numeric keypad and/or control buttons for receiving user input indicative of a user selection for programming (Not shown).
With reference to FIG. 1C, many subscriber units 102 are also configured to generate and cause a channel/programming selection guide (programming guide) 130 to be displayed on an associated television/display device 113 for user reference/viewing and aid in making a programming selection. The subscriber unit 102 may also be configured to cause a cursor (not shown) or other graphical means of highlighting a portion of the displayed programming guide to be displayed and navigated based upon user input from the keypad or remote control device. Some examples of typical programming guides used by cable TV companies/services include inter-active programming guides (IPG), such as, for example The TV Guide™ IPG used by many cable TV distributors and satellite distributors.
A typical programming guide is generally depicted by the illustration of FIG. 1D. With reference to FIG. 1D, a typical programming guide 130 is displayed on a display device 113 in a two dimensional (2-D) grid like form with “time” 131 and “channel” 132 used as variables/headings that define the vertical and/or horizontal axis of the displayed programming guide 130. Textual titles of video programming scheduled to be distributed over the cable network 104 and available for viewing via subscribers 102 are shown for each channel at a scheduled time slot. The typical IPG shows only programming scheduled from the current time slot forward into the future and not programming schedule for time slots that have already elapsed, or precede the current time slot.
By using an associated keypad or remote control device (Not Shown), a user may “navigate” a cursor or other graphical indicia 135 to a displayed program title 136 or time slot 133 to select the programming scheduled for viewing at that time slot 133. Once selected, the subscriber unit 102 tunes/changes to the selected channel, or otherwise issues a signal to the cable TV office 106 which causes TV programming on the selected channel 137 to be displayed for viewing of programming in real time (broadcast time).
Some subscriber units are configured to record programming selected by a subscriber for viewing. These subscriber units will allow a user to select a currently available or future scheduled program to be recorded at the time it is scheduled for distribution/viewing by the cable TV distributor. This allows a subscriber who otherwise would not be available to view the desired program at the scheduled time to “time shift” the program so that they may view the program at another time convenient for them to do so.
Video programming that is distributed by the cable company to subscribers is typically produced by sources (content producers) 108 other than the cable TV distributor. These content producers license the programming to the cable company for distribution to subscribers. Typically, such licensing arrangements provide the cable company with the right to distribute the programming for only a single showing and only at a certain predetermined time/time slot.
As result of the above described method, most of the money a cable distributor pays to content providers is waste. A cable company normally pays a portion of the money it collects from subscribers to each of the content providers, for example; CNN, Fox News, History Channel, Discovery Channel and more (often more than 150 content channels) for the right to broadcast their content to consumers/subscribers. This content the Cable distributor pays for is available from every channel for every time slot in every day of the week. However, a consumer, and therefore all consumers, can watch only one channel, for example CNN, per time slot, thus the money paid to the other channels, for example the History Channel, Discovery channel and Fox News, for content broadcast during the same time slot is wasted as its is paid on behalf of all the consumers/subscribers to watch while only a percentage of the consumers/subscribers actually do watch a particular channel at a given time slot.
The video programming received from the content producer 108 is stored for at least a short period of time on a media server 126 before it is distributed by the cable TV distributor to subscribers 102 on the cable television system during a pre-scheduled time slot.
Once a cable television company has distributed a program over it's cable network 104, at a scheduled time, for viewing by subscribers, it is typically not possible for the program material to be viewed via the cable television system by a subscriber, unless the program was recorded by a subscriber using a recording device (such as a digital video recorder—DVR) that was deployed to record the selected program at/during the scheduled viewing time slot, or the cable TV distributor rebroadcasts the program at another time under a new license from the content producer/owner.
Cable television companies will typically include advertising that is interspersed with programming material when it is distributed to subscribers. This advertising provides the cable television company with an important revenue stream. Once a scheduled program has been distributed via the cable network at the scheduled time for subscriber viewing, there is no way that subscribers can view the program (or the advertising that is interspersed therein) unless the subscriber opted to have the program recorded at/during the scheduled viewing time slot.
Cable TV distributors typically only receive payment for advertising that is run during the original real time broadcast/distribution of a video program. In the case where a recording device has been used to record a program, a subscriber 102 may choose to fast forward, either automatically or manually, through portions of the recording in which the advertising is present thus negating the benefit to advertisers of the advertising placement and thereby weakening the value of advertising placement in programming to be distributed via broadcast, cable, satellite or any other means via which a subscriber may record a program and subsequently fast forward through advertising portions of programming.
Thus, a cable television distributor typically has one opportunity to get a subscriber to see the advertising interspersed with video programming. There is no way for a subscriber to view a video program distributed by the cable television company once it has been distributed for viewing, unless they (the subscriber) access a recording of the program or access the program via an alternate source of media content.
Currently, it is possible for a subscriber to access select television programs for viewing via online web-based video services such as HULU™ (www.hulu.com), BOXEE (www.boxee.com) or via web sites controlled and/or operated by the producer/owner such as, for example, ABC.com (www.abc.com) for programming produced by the American Broadcast Corporation (ABC), or Historychannel.com (www.Historychannel.com) for programming produced/owned by the History Channel. These alternate content sources are not accessible by a subscriber 102 using a subscriber unit 112. In fact to access these types of services a user must typically use another device, such as, for example, a personal computer (PC) to search for and access these web sites over the Internet.
These alternate media content sources offer advertising-supported streaming video of programming produced by various media content producers (producers). These services provide only select TV shows and movies from various content producers in one or more video formats, including, but not limited to Flash Video format. These programs may be available in 480 p and/or high-definition format. To access content from a web based video service, a subscriber must resort to a computer that will allow them to access the internet.
Other web based video services are provided by vendors such as, for example, NETFLIX™ by Netflix, Inc.; VUDU™ by Vudu, Inc. or ROKU™ by Roku, Inc. which provide their customers with a specialized device also known as an “over the top box” (OTTB), that allows a customer to access and cause selected programming to be displayed on a display device associated with the customer/OTTB. Importantly, the OTTB is separate and distinct from the subscriber box 112 provided by the cable TV distributor 106 and is limited to providing specific programming, such as, for example, old movies, available from a specific media storage site, group of storage sites or source.
These web-based video services are supported via purchases of the OTTB device and/or monthly subscription fees collected from subscribers. Limited advertising is interspersed (placed) in the programming, typically at the beginning and/or end of programming. However, the advertising placed in the programming is typically controlled by the parties who control the web-based video service. Revenue for such advertising goes to parties associated with the web-based video service on which advertisement is placed (and not to the cable TV distributor).
A consequence of these web based video services is that cable TV distributors typically receive no revenue when video programming is accessed/retrieved via the web based programming site. Further, while the content producers/owners receive some compensation by allowing programming they own to be made available on demand via these web based video sites, it is often less revenue than they may receive when their programming is distributed via a cable TV distributor. Further, to view content via a web based programming site, a user must access such site via use of, for example, a personal computer (PC) capable of accessing the Internet via a web browser. This generally requires a user to leave the environment in which their Television/system for viewing video programming from the cable distributor is located and move to another location/environment in which their PC device is located.
Typically a users PC is located in an environment that is not as comfortable as the environment in which they view programming via the cable TV distributor. Further, use of a PC device is often not conducive or convenient for multiple persons to simultaneously view.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. The features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention. The accompanying drawings, listed herein-below, are useful in explaining the invention.